Washington Commanders release former first round pick during Thanksgiving weekend and place veteran on IR
Former first round pick Emmanuel Forbes is out of the picture after less than two full seasons with the Washington Commanders.Per the Commanders themselves, they waived the 16th overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft on Saturday. Forbes never got close to living up to his first round draft billing and with the rise of […]
Former first round pick Emmanuel Forbes is out of the picture after less than two full seasons with the Washington Commanders.
Per the Commanders themselves, they waived the 16th overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft on Saturday. Forbes never got close to living up to his first round draft billing and with the rise of rookie Mike Sainristil and the trade for Marshon Lattimore, it became more and more clear that Forbes was on borrowed time.
However, to see him waived at this point in the season is quite the surprise when considering the overall makeup of the Commanders cornerback group. Even if defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. recently said they've been pleased with the play of veteran Michael Davis.
Forbes appeared in 20 games over the last two seasons and racked up two interceptions and 12 pass breakups. His size was a big question coming into the league and it became an even bigger question when Dan Quinn came to town. Primarily because he, along with Whitt Jr., prefers bigger corners that can hold up in press man coverage – something Forbes struggles with.
Commanders also place veteran running back Austin Ekeler on IR
Ekeler suffered his second concussion of the season after he took a scary hit at the end of the Cowboys loss. It was scary enough to the point where he was sent to the hospital as a precaution, so it makes sense for the team to play it very safe with him, moving forward.
Ekeler will now miss the next four games, not the next four weeks. Therefore, he could return for the season finale against the Cowboys in Week 18 as long as he passes through the league's protocol.
He was already ruled out ahead of the Titans matchup, but it's a big blow for the offense moving forward. Ekeler has played a very effective role in 2024 on both offense and special teams. He's been a great change of pace to leading rusher Brian Robinson Jr. Now, it'll be up to Jeremy McNichols to step in when Robinson Jr. needs a break.
Coming into Week 13, Ekeler ran for 355 yards and four touchdowns on 74 carries and he also caught 33 balls for 346 yards.
